So, the OMW inbox was peppered with notes from folks telling us about the streaker who interrupted a "19 Action News" live shot in snowy downtown Cleveland during this past week's storm. The clip made it onto, among other places, ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live", and MSNBC's "Countdown with Keith Olbermann".Basically, a large, apparently naked man cavorts around 19's Jon Loufman as the weather forecaster interviews someone else in the snow out at East 12th and Chester Avenue.That's otherwise known as … [Read more...]
Saturday Stuff
Posted on February 17, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Three items, including two semi-related, maybe. Or maybe not:MORE LES STILL: At this rate, we're going to have to start charging local sports media personality Les Levine for ad space.But we can't help it if the fast moving developments in local sports radio and TV lately all seem to involve him, for whatever reason.This time, it's Mr. Levine's second straight appearance on the "Saturday Morning Sports Show" on Good Karma sports talker WKNR/850 this morning. But unlike last week, where Les … [Read more...]
Weekend Wrapup, Mid-February Edition
Posted on February 16, 2007 · Leave a Comment
Some random stuff:MASON OUT: It doesn't seem like long ago that we were congratulating long-time WQMX/94.9 operations manager Kevin Mason on his new gig as VP/GM of a record company in Nashville.Unfortunately, it appears the volatile nature of the music business has left the former Akron country programmer without a job.AllAccess reports that Mason's new employer, Rust Records, is folding up its tent along Nashville's Music Row, leaving Mason and everyone else with the company out of work.Of … [Read more...]
More Les And More Rants
Posted on February 15, 2007 · Leave a Comment
These two items also revolve around local sports personality Les Levine and his two local TV shows, oddly enough.MORE LES: It's something we thought might happen in one of our earlier items.Levine announced on his "More Sports and Les Levine" show last night that the Time Warner Cable show will expand to the company's entire Cleveland/Akron/Canton footprint starting with tonight's program.Well, at least to the original Time Warner areas such as Akron/Canton, which were specifically mentioned. We … [Read more...]
It’s Lewis With Levine For Rants
Posted on February 14, 2007 · Leave a Comment
As hinted earlier, from even the same source, former WKNR sports talk host Kendall Lewis is "back on the airwaves". Well, the cable lines and satellite waves.Akron Beacon Journal sports media columnist George M. Thomas reports that Lewis will join FOX Sports Net Ohio's 2007 version of "Cleveland Rants", co-hosting with FSN Ohio's Les Levine. The show's new season starts March 5th.The show aired last year with Levine and WKNR/850's Neil Bender, but the 2007 version will not be simulcast on the … [Read more...]
Weather Or Not
Posted on February 14, 2007 · Leave a Comment
The local TV news operations in the Cleveland market rarely need help emphasizing bad weather. Most of 'em pull out all the stops even when moderate storms are forecast anywhere NEAR Cleveland, complete with flashy graphics, hyperactive and excited weather forecasters, and bundled up live reporters all over town.Give them a real storm, and they're off to the races.Local stations preempted such important programming as soap operas and popular syndicated talk shows for coverage of this winter … [Read more...]
Weather Claims Northwest Ohio Radio Tower
Posted on February 13, 2007 · Leave a Comment
In extreme weather, like, well, we're experiencing now, broadcast facilities often take hits.That's just what happened to Findlay's WFIN/1330, which lost its 280 foot tower Tuesday during near-blizzard conditions in the Northwest Ohio city. The tower collapse took the station off the air.Via its website, the station says it is hesitant to say when it'll be able to reconstruct the tower. But the message from WFIN says it is "in the process" of figuring out a way to return to the air on an … [Read more...]
Radiothon Hits New Record
Posted on February 12, 2007 · Leave a Comment
The folks at Clear Channel's Akron/Canton Southern Command pass this along:The 8th Annual "Have a Heart - Do Your Part" Radiothon on hot AC WKDD/98.1 over the weekend broke a record. The total raised for Akron Children's Hospital this time around: $858,376.98.The money raised includes over $141,000 raised by some 1400 "Change Bandits", who have spent the past few weeks collecting spare change for the effort.Congratulations for a job well done. And, for the folks who don't believe Clear Channel … [Read more...]
Starting The Week With TV Stuff
Posted on February 12, 2007 · Leave a Comment
For whatever reason, all the stuff in our "hold file" has to do with local television...so, let's turn on the Virtual OMW Tube:TWC AKRON/CANTON CHANGES: This one, oddly enough, comes from one of the newest additions to our left-hand side links section...WKYC/3's "Director's Cut" blog, brought to you with care by WKYC News senior producer/director Frank Macek.Frank tells us that WKYC's "Akron/Canton News" returns to Time Warner Cable's cable channel 23, after being bounced around to channel 17 … [Read more...]
Ex-WHBCer Back Doing Talk On 1480
Posted on February 11, 2007 · Leave a Comment
This is an odd one for at least two reasons.We got a tip that this Sunday night, NextMedia oldies WHBC/1480 Canton is airing a three hour local call-in talk show, from 7-10 PM.Not only that, the host of this evening's show may surprise you: Brady Russell.Yes, the same Brady Russell who was let go from sister AC outlet WHBC-FM/94.1 "Mix 94.1"'s afternoon drive show just over two years ago for his on-air comments related to protesters at the second inauguration for President Bush.Quoting Russell … [Read more...]
